The Netherlands’ Written in Blood will be of interest to God Dethroned fans, as it features their former bassist and backing vocalist, Bert Hoving, who served in the band for their first few releases (he’s aided by a few other Dutch death/black metal veterans). Also, Henri Sattler produced this, the band’s second EP in 2026, […]
I love some triumphant, medieval melodic black metal; Véhémence, Ascète, Hanternoz, Moisson Livide, Passéisme, Abduction, Atronos, Grylle, Sühnopfer, etc. And it’s usually on France’s Antiq Records, or sometimes Germany’s Purity Through Fire. So how about a new French project from members of the above bands that’s on Antiq Records? Hardiesse (‘boldness, bravery’) is a duo […]
Florida’s doom and gloom Wharflurch return with their second album Mycodeath and Rebirth in the Outer Clusters. Interestingly enough, on the same day they released this, they released Wharflurch Presents… Swamp Synth, which would be considered a third album. However, that is a synth-only album in which vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Myk Colby did an all-synth release based […]
I have covered Denmark’s lumbering death metal friends Dawn Of Demise, a bunch at this here website: from their debut in 2008, through the Lacerated EP i in 2009, to A Force Unstoppable in 2010, their last for Deepsend Records (RIP). They moved to Unique Leader for Rejoice in Vengeance (2012) and The Suffering (2016), […]
The last time I reviewed Mother of Graves was their The Periapt of Absence album from 2024. That album made it onto my Year End List and cemented my admiration for these purveyors of all things Doom/Death Metal. Well, here I am on a rainy day, and I am here to testify that The Light […]
Master has returned with their 16th album, Among the Seeds of Death. That’s a lot of albums, and I reviewed their last album from 2024, Saints Dispelled. That was definitely a fun and classic-sounding Master album, but on Among the Seeds of Death, mastermind Paul Speckmann has upped the ante even more. Alex Nejezchleba returns […]
Oh boy. This is wild and definitely one of the most unique releases of the year I’ve heard, if not the last few years. “Peasant metal”? “Medieval Avant-Metal”? “Hovel-core”? I’m not sure what to call this: the brainchild of David Monks from the 2000s Canadian indie rock band Tokyo Police Club, here under the guise […]
Infibulate Records is a brand-new record label, and label owner Sarah contacted our illustrious Editor-in-Chief, Erik, recently about their first signing, Mousecunt, and their debut album, Orgasmic Mouse. Sarah follows our site and made complimentary remarks about me and my writing style, so I had to review this. I weighed in on the email mentioning […]
Enterré Vivant came under my radar with the release of 悪罪 (Akuzaï) last year, and I covered it in these hallowed pages. Hopefully at least one of you went out and bought it because it is a fantastic record that drips emotion. Kurogoku doesn’t pull any punches in that department; they take what is left […]
I grabbed this promo because the Gurkhas were this revered, ghost-like unit of the British Army, where I spent a little time. If you want to read the history of this unique military entry of Nepalese badasses (now the Royal Gurkha Rifles) , check it out here. Here, Gurkkhas (with an extra K?) is a […]
I picked this EP out of curiosity. The fact that it’s short and from a band I’ve never heard of is important, but the bottom line is: HPGD aren’t known for releasing shitty albums. I was in the mood for some crazy cool Grind with Slam and Death Metal elements. There’s even some Black Metal […]
Despite being their third album, 2024’s Death Devil Magick was my first introduction to these robed and corpse-painted German deities, and I was fairly impressed. It was a bit of an outlier on AOP Records’ mostly more shoegazy and atmospheric black metal stable, being a more traditional black metal style. And on album number 4, […]
Russia’s Gravegod are back with album number two, Sermon Under Mound. Their debut in 2022, Promised Graveland, was a decent debut. Combining elements of early Morbid Angel and Brutality, there is a certain Floridian old-school death metal sound to them, from the swamps of Tampa. The band stays intact with this album, with Anatoly on […]
Canadian Black Metal can take many forms (notably the band Blasphemy), but the other day I picked up this promo for a band called Endspace, and I have to say this is an Industrial Black Metal horror show. First Contact is the name of the album, and this creepy bastard is making my Sci-fi horror […]
Crown Magnetar is becoming one of the most consistent deathcore bands around. With 3 albums, including this one, and 2 EPs since 2021, they have consistently delivered some of the most brutal, straightforward deathcore around, coming very, very close to elite, big four status. And The Hollowing of Godflesh does nothing to change that. The Hollowing […]
Hands up if you remember Finland’s Fall of the Leafe? Boy, I sure do. My first exposure was 2002’s Fermina, a transitional album that saw the band move away from the melodic death/black metal of their first two efforts (Evanescent, Everfading in 1998, and August Wernicke in 1999) into more progressive, gothic pastures. Fermina introduced […]
My admiration for Power Metal knows no boundaries. You know this by now, constant reader. So when I saw the promo for Valkyrie’s Fire I knew I had to hear it. Straight away I’m over here thinking these guys are European… they’re not. They hail from the hub of all things American Power Metal: Nashville, […]
Here is the self-released debut album from Chicagoan purveyors of sludge/doom metal, Shrineburner. It’s a damn solid debut, though hardly a game-changer, but it will scratch the itch for fans of Conan, Ufomammut, Usnea, Armed for Apocalypse, etc as well as the recent Fane record, and fellow Chicagoans, Minsk and Lair of the Minotaur, and […]
All trilogies must end. But when that trilogy is one as massive as Green Carnation’s A Dark Poem, the ending is bittersweet, indeed. Few bands have been able to capture the depths of human loss and the downfall of humanity to a blind technology and suffering as they have, and as the third installment is […]
When it comes to the big four Thrash bands Anthrax gets the most heat, just like my Dallas Cowboys. I feel the hate is unjust, as I have met them and been a longtime fan since their 1984 debut – Fistful of Metal. I’ve seen them live since the 80s up to the present. I […]
So there are concept albums, and then there are concept series. You may think that Mindvile is just starting out, but these guys are setting their sights on an ambitious project called ‘Stories No Tongue Should Tell’. Old Continent is set to be the first chapter in the saga, a five album saga to be […]
It’s been 9 years since Kentucky’s Tombstalker dropped their solid debut album, Black Crusades. Since then, there have been some lineup changes; drummer Dustin Boltges (Flesher, ex-Skeletonwitch) and guitarist Gruftspüre have joined the fray. And keen-eyed fans will also notice a slight change in the logo (which debuted on the 2022 EP Age Of Darkness). […]
San Francisco, California’s Cartilage gore/death/grind act is back with their third full-length album, Operating Altar. Tales from the Entrails: A Necrology was a nifty EP they released that I reviewed last year, and now they drop this 10-song, 33-minute album of revolting, brutal music. “Metal, Bone, and Sinew” starts after a short intro and a […]
Out of all Black Metal bands that come to my city, I’ve seen Dark Funeral the most. They never disappoint, and are totally consistent each time they play here. They’re one of the best live experiences I’ve ever had. So now there’s a live album called A Beast to Praise and of course it’s good. […]
After a monster year in 20205, blackened/symphonic deathcore has been a little quieter in 2026. There have been gobs of singles and digital EPs, but the full-length albums have been noticeably absent (though I’m sure I’ve missed some). The only one I currently have in my possible year-end playlist is France’s Kheos and their strangely […]